Overshooting The Return
by klutzysunshine
Summary: When the team tries to get back to their own time, they accidentally go back a few years too early.


**I don't own Agents of SHIELD nor will I ever. No copyright infringement intended. Warning for mentions of abuse.**

* * *

For once, the team thought something was going to work out for them when they tried to return to their own timeline but knew they had fucked up when they came to with a jolt on the Bus, unfortunately down a few members. "So, we're definitely in the past," Jemma complained once the nausea finally faded.

"We overshot it by a few years. It happens," Coulson tried but he stepped back in concern when everyone glared at him.

"So, we're in our past bodies?" Skye checked, even though she already knew the answer - the steady thrum of her powers had disappeared and she couldn't find them, no matter how hard she tried.

"I have a headache. We should probably go find Fitz … and Ward." May wasn't looking forward to the prospect but hell, they had already been to the future (possibly an alternate version of one, but that was beside the point) and maybe they could change it in other ways. She wasn't getting her hopes up, however - she knew better.

Skye's eyes lit up at the thought of Ward - she hadn't told anybody but she ached for him and missed him ever since the Framework fiasco. She had tried to accept the loss - something that wasn't easy on a spaceship in the future - and still hadn't come to terms with it. If there was any chance she could get through to him, she would take it. "I'll go get Ward. Jemma, you talk to Fitz. He'll accept it faster if you break the news to him - and I'm sure he'll be excited." She wondered if their Fitz was trying to find them, and how he was. But she shook off those depressing thoughts and tried to look innocent when the others turned to stare at her.

"What are you planning?" Coulson asked her.

Skye checked her phone. "We're in 2013 if my phone's right, and I want to talk to Ward - try to get through to him and help. It's not too late to save him from a dark path, Coulson."

"You're wasting your time, Skye, but you've already made up your mind so go ahead." After everything they had been through, Coulson thought she was a little too optimistic about their chances, especially with Grant Ward.

Jemma looked around the Bus. "We've lost Mack and Elena - I hope they're alright, wherever they are."

"They'll be fine," Skye assured her as she headed off to try to find Ward. Although worried about her two friends, she knew they'd be okay. Fortunately for Skye, she didn't have to go too far - she found Ward in his bunk, reading a book. "Having fun?" she teased.

He looked up at her and beamed before cocking his head and staring at her in confusion. "You seem different. Did something happen?" he pressed.

"Sort of. I hope you believe me."

He placed a bookmark in his book, closed it, and then stood up. "What's going on? Are you hurt?" he asked, checking her over to make sure nothing had happened.

"I'm not hurt but thank you for your concern. Grant, I need to talk to you about something important." Fuck, why was she so nervous? What if he didn't believe her and still chose Garrett over the team, his family? She would fall apart again when they got back to their own future if that was the case.

"Of course. What is it?"

She sat down on his bed and pulled him closer to her. "Do you believe in time travel?"

He bit his lip and frowned. "Why?" Grant asked, already anticipating her answer. His palms began to sweat and his heart started pounding.

"I think you know where I'm going with this." Skye took a deep breath and just went for it, tearing up. Her breath hitch but she continued anyway. "We're from a few years in the future - 2017, to be exact. And some jackasses kidnapped us and took us to the future - we ended up in a spaceship because the Earth was destroyed." She didn't mention that she was the cause of it because that was a whole different, long-ass story. "When we were trying to return to our own time, something went wrong - of course - and now we're in our past - your present. You processing everything?"

His eyes widened, Ward could only nod. "Yeah," he croaked, extremely terrified about the direction of this conversation.

"You sure?" she pressed.

"Yes, I'm sure." He just knew he didn't like what she was about to tell him but he forced himself to sit still and listen.

"I know you're undercover for Hydra, that you're trying to save Garrett."

Ward froze. Fuck, fuck, fuck. "And how do you know that?" he asked, his voice strangled. He should have tried to deny it but what was the point? If she was in fact from the future - and he didn't doubt her story - than she already knew. Hydra must have finally been revealed, something he secretly hoped would never happen.

"Grant, come on. I've lived in the world where you betrayed us because of Garrett. I know you think love is a weakness, that you think he cares about you, but he doesn't." Skye's gaze hardened. "John Garrett only cares about himself and doesn't give a shit about anybody else - which includes you. He kidnapped and abused you, Grant."

"No, he didn't!" The rush to defend Garrett was instinctive for Ward but she was wrong. She had to be.

"He's brainwashed you, Grant. He left you in the fucking woods with only a dog for company for five years and then killed Buddy when you couldn't do it! Does that sound like a man who cares about you? I know you don't want to believe me - I get it - but you need to. He is physically and emotionally abusive."

Grant's whole body was shaking and she felt bad for him but he it was absolutely imperative he heard this. "He's not," he tried.

"Grant, how do you feel about me?"

"What?" This conversation was taking multiple turns he hadn't quite expected and it was throwing him off track.

"Are you in love with me?" she pressed, already knowing the answer.

Ward wanted to deny it but realized almost immediately he couldn't - and she apparently already knew the answer anyway. "Yes. But love is a weakness, Skye. I can't be in love with you because of it."

"You're wrong but we'll deal with that later. Grant, do you know what Garrett does to me when he suspects you have feelings for me?"

"What?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"He has me shot and I nearly die. He tried to kill me to prove a point to you - and figure out how Coulson was saved. It was a lesson for you and sure enough, he had you hook, line, and sinker again, even though you were pissed off at him. I know you care about us, Grant, and I know it scares the shit out of you, but we'll help you. We care about you - we're your family."

"How do you feel about me?" he questioned, curious.

Her lips curled up into a smile. "I am in love with you, Grant Douglas Ward. I was furious with you for so long and tried to ignore it but years down the road, it's still true."

Nobody had ever said those words to Ward before and a chill went down his spine. Somebody actually loved him? He was having a hard time comprehending it. "I don't want to do," Ward admitted.

"That's okay - we'll figure it out together. Can I hug you?"

"Why are you asking me?" Ward was a bit confused.

"Because I know you don't like to be touched, Grant." She wanted to respect his boundaries now because he needed to learn that not everybody wanted to hurt him, whether it was on purpose or accident.

"Fine with me." He let her pull him in for a hug and melted into her embrace. He felt a little uncomfortable but not very much because this was Skye, the woman he loved. And shit, that was a terrifying thought to express, even though he had told her the truth. Garrett's voice was screaming weakness at him but he shut it out for now.

A few minutes later, they pulled apart. Skye beamed at him. "We should probably go find the team." Fortunately, they found them all - including a bouncing and excited Fitz - in the common room.

"This is awesome! Time travel! Ward, can you believe it?" he asked him.

Ward tentatively smiled at him. "It is a little hard to believe."

"How was your talk?" Jemma asked.

"They're about five minutes from making out in front of us so I say it went well," May deadpanned.

"I don't want to hear this," Coulson moaned.

"Shut up and deal with it, Phil," she shot back.

Ward sat down on the couch and grinned when Skye sat right next to him. "Skye said you'd all figure out a way to help me."

"We will. Are you willing to betray Garrett?" Jemma asked him.

"Yeah." He had some misgivings about it but Ward trusted Skye - and the others - so he was ready to listen to them and accept their help. He had to push down the urge to do everything on his own because that clearly hadn't worked in their future.

"Good. I'm watching you." May wasn't about to let him hurt this team again but she understood why everything had gone the way it down - they had all played their parts in this mess.

"I know - I don't doubt it."

With the whole team on board now, the group came up with a plan to try to save Grant Ward and fix their world. He listened and chimed in with his own plans, and they all came to a consensus together.

Unfortunately, they were stuck on the Bus for several days so they solved a mission they had already solved once before and tried to wait it out. Skye and Coulson went in with Ward when he visited Fury to turn Garrett in and expose Hydra, and were essentially his support system.

Three weeks after their arrival in the past, the plane started shaking. "Is that turbulence or is something happening?" Coulson asked.

Fitz and Ward exchanged confused glances. "I don't feel anything," Fitz replied.

"Yeah, there's nothing," Ward added.

The subsequent jolt shook the plane so hard, Skye fell onto the couch. Then, they all blacked out.

* * *

When Skye came to, it was with a groan. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Time travel?" Ward guessed from his position next to her in the bed.

Skye seized up with fear for a few seconds - and the room started shaking a bit - before relaxing. "We're in our future," she guessed.

Ward nodded. "You don't remember?"

Skye clearly remembered the old timeline but nothing from the new one. "Just bits and pieces."

"Well, we may have stopped Garrett but we couldn't stop Hydra's rise. We're currently living on the Playground and are happily together."

That's when she noticed the wedding and engagement rings on her finger. "Holy shit!"

He laughed. "Yup. That's something else that changed. Welcome back, Agent Skye Ward."

"Wow. And you're getting help for your trauma?" she double checked.

He nodded. "I talk to a therapist every week, and she's been a lot of help. But so have you and the team."

"Good." She leaned over and kissed him. "Have I told you how thrilled I am we overshot our landing when we tried to get home?"

"Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again." He laughed and kissed her once more.

Overshooting their attempt to get back home had changed everything, and Skye couldn't wait to see what this new timeline was like. So far, so good, though. And she couldn't wait to make new memories with her husband.


End file.
